Six-speed combination gear set.



I. D. SPANGLER.

SIX SPEED COMBWATION GEAR SET. APPLICATEON web 0017. 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- E] mum H301 attoznup Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

- high speed on SEA 3').

SPANGLER, OF SALEDA, GOLGRADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO PERRY H.

SEANGLER, 0F CALLENDEB, IOWA.

SIX-SEEED COMBINATION GEAR SET:

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Ina DANIEL SPAXGLER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Salida, in the county ofChalice and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Six-Speed Combination Gear Sets; and I do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it apper tains tomake and use the same.

Tiis invention relates to machine ele ments, and more especially totransmission mechanism ordinarily employed in motor vehicles.

The main objects of the invention are to provide novel gear shiftingmeans and to effective y provide for the lubrication of certain gears tobe described. These objects are carried out by the mechanism herein;after more fully described and claimed, and as shown in the drawingswherein Figure 1 is a general side elevation with the in section, andFig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the entire gearset.

I may say at starting that this combination gear set'includes thetransmission mechanism proper which provides for forward direct drive,forward low speed. and reverse low speed; and k secured to thedillerential mechanism and having two rows of gear rings with either or"which the driven shaft section is adapted to be connected, so that bydriving this disk from its larger or smaller ring six speeds areobtained from the transmission mechanism proper which provides for onlythree speeds. The combination gear set therefore simplifies theconstruction of the transmission mechanism proper and yet d cs atgreatlv complicate the mechanism within 8' diderential casing orhousing. 1f the driver is satisfied witl the three speeds produced bythe diiierential mechanism, he need not shiftthe gear which connects itwith the disk in the transmission mechanism and still he will have twospeeds ahead and one reverse. If one of the rings on said disk shouldbecome d fective. or one the smaller gears or pi-nious meshing 'ewithshould become detective. the maa may still be driven on the other andapcralor will yet have two speeds ahead one reverse. In the drawingsherewith amplified the housing H for the differential mechanism D so asto include this connection between the rear end of the shaft and thelarge gear or disk as I will call it which islrttached to suchdifferential The latter may be of any suitable type not necessary todescribe, and it connects the meeting ends of thetwo rear ax e. sectionsA and A in the well known manner. I make this explanation so that thereader will understand that in this specification where I speak ofdifferential mechanism and lions ing 1 refer to all that at the leftportion of Fig. 2, and where I speak of transmission mechanism 1 referto all that at the right portion of the same view.

The transmission casing in the present instance will doubtless beconstructed of aluminum or other light substantial sheet metal, and incontour it may simulate the lower half of a sphere. Its lower portion 1has internal webs 2 inte 'sect'ing a central socket 3, and around itsopen upper end is a radial flange (not shown) upon which is detachablysecured the upper portion or top-provision being made for the insertionof bearings to carry the shaft in a manner well understood. Across theotherwise fiat top is formed an arch 16 slo ted in its crown at 17, 17,and adjacent eacn slot is a bear s5 ing post 18 which is by preferencehollow and contains a spring-actuated catch 19 yet to be described.

The shaft sections of the transmission mechanism are disposed end to endand extend through this casing beneath its arch 16. The power shaftsection 20 will be connected at U with a universal joint through whichit is driven from the engine or from the clutch if one is employed butthese details are not necessary to illustrate. Thence it passes througha suitable bearing at the point 6, inside of which it has an enlargedshoulder 21, near its inner end it has a key or feather (or any suitablestructure forming part of a spline, as perhaps by having its bodysquared), and its inner extremity is reduced and rounded into astubshaft 23. The driven shaft section 25 is somewhat longer than the powershaft section, and in fact eX- tends beyoud the transmission mechanismproper and into the housing of the differential mechanism. Its body isprovided with two keys or feathers 26, 27, its inner and is enlargedinto a toothed head 28, and within this head its inner eXtreniity has acylindrical socket 29 in which the stub shaft latter a clutch isemployed body has fingers 5t and t' 23 of the power shaft sectionrotates freely when the two sections are in place.

A master gear M is disposed within the casing l beneath the shaftsection, and is employed with the transmission mechanism except ondirect drive. It is shown herein as having a fiat body BO carrying tworings 31 and 32 of gear teeth, each of which may be made in a' completering or in sections but secured to the body by screws 33 so that adefective ring may be repaired. The body is mounted on a rather longdepending hub 34 supported by adjustable ball bearings 35 and 35 on apost 37 whose lower end is seat ed in said socket 3 and whose upper endcarries a two-part eye 38 whose lower part un derlies the driven shaftsection and v the mechanism thereon and whose upper part is slotted asat 39 as seen in Figs. 1 and By adjustingthe ball hearings on the post,all Wear therein may be taken up and the entire master gear can be sethigher so that its toothed rings mesh with the pinions or 51 .all gearshereinafter described, without noise or loss of motion. In order to keepall parts thoroughly lubricated Within the casing 1, I support the body30 from the hub by ineansof a number of upright wings 36 as shown, andwhen this'master gear rotates within the casing the oil in the latterwill be splashed and will be driven against the spherical-wall thereofby centrifugal force, so that it will travel up said wall and 111*bricate parts even above the normal level of the oil itself. Yet theconstruction is such that the entire master gear and its post can beraised out of the casing when necessary.

The power gear and other gears a re of the same size so that they can bemade from the same dies and. will be inter-changeable. This detailrenders the gear sets cheap to make and easy to repair. A collar 40shrunk on or otherwise secured to the shaft is provided with an annulargroove for a of balls 41, andaround these is disposed the annular body43 of the gear-which is internally'grooved to receive said balls andexternally toothed as shown at the ri l ig. .2the teeth being;preferably inc slightly so as to engage the outerring 31 of teeth on themaster gear. The shoulder 21 on this shaft serves as a thrust bearingfor the power gear, and the collar l0 nary stand in close contachwithsaidv shoulder. Fingers Q5 project from the small end this gear andconstitute a clutch element.

For connecting the power with the shaft so as to rotate the forincrfro.the

' c be i externally channeled inter; to travel on the feather 22.

gers constituting a clutch r c ed to engage the fingers i5 tne lattermoves the gear. The channel is loosely engaged by a fork 57 which risesthrough the slot 17 in the casing and is attached to an eye 56, and thelatter is adjustahly included on a large tube 58 which slides throughthe right hand bearing post 18 and is provided with three, notches ordepressions 59 in its upper side adapted to come under the tip of thespring catch 19 for a purpose yet to appear. When this tube is set to aneutral position shown in Fig. 2, the fingers 5a and 55 engage nothingand the power shaft section 20 may rotate without revolving anything butthe. clutch body and the collar to constituting hub of the power gear asthe body of the power gear is mounted loosely around said hub andwillnot then rotate with it. When the tube 58 is shifted to theleft, thefingers 54 engage the toothed head 23 of the drivenshaft section 25, andthe machine is on direct drive at high speed, although the rapidity ofthis speed may be controlled by the coacting portion of the mechanismwithin the differential yet to be explained. When the tube 58 isshifted. to the rightin Fig. 2 the fingers 55 engage the fingers 45 onthe power gear and the body of the latter is connected with and rotatedby the shaft. 1 hen its teeth which are in constant mesh with the masterrotate the latter, and the master gear in turn rotates whatever gear isconnected therewith as will be explained below.

The low speed gear which is mounted on the driven shat't section againstits head 28 (the latter here constituting lent of the shoulder 21) isconstructed in a similar manner. Around its hub or collar .30 is agroove having balls and around the grooved gear-body 63 whose teeth meshwith the inner ring of teeth on the master gear. and the body of thislow speed gear hasaxial lin 'ers constituting one element of a clutch,The other element 66 thereof is moved on the feather 26 by a fork 67(see Fig. 1) connected with a tube 68 smaller than and extending throughthe tube as shown. When this clutch element is engaged with the fingersof the low speed gear. rotation of the master gear by the power gear inthe manner above described imparts motion to tie low speed or, and thelatter drives the shaft section which in turn counnunicatcs its to therear axle in a manner yet to scribed.

.11 located at the other 5- r. master gear is constru 4 manner exceptingtha it Jil i. llur 7i flXQQ ioulder of; or a l of this g y halls and thwhich mesh with power the equivafeather 2T the inner ring 32 of teeth onthe master gear and axial fingers 75 adapted to be engaged by fingers 75on the left side of the clutch element 66 when the latter is moved inthat direction by the tube 68. lVhen the fingers or elements areconnected, power imparted to the master gear by the power gear abovedescribed is transmitted to the shaft section 25 in a reverse directionand at low speed. The rear extremity of this driven shaft section. 25 isreduced as shown at 25 so as to produce a shoulder 81, and against saidshoulder rests the hub or collar 80 of a driven pinion which issurrounded by ball bearings and a pinion body 83 whose teeth mesh with agear ring 108 in the disk 100 yet to be described. This pinion or geardiffers slightly from the others above described, in that its fingers 85project from its larger end as shown in Fig. 2.

Still another driven pinion has a hub or collar 90 fast on the shaftforward of the gear 80 as seen in Fig. 2, and a toothed body 93 mountedaround it by ball bearingsas shown, its teeth engaging a larger gearring 109 in said disk 100, and fingers 95 project from the smallerend ofthis gear toward the gear 80. Slidably mounted on the between these twogears is a clutch element 82 having fingers 85 at one end adapted to andat the other end adapted to engage those numbered 05, and the channeledbody of this element is engaged by a fork 87 (see Fig. 1) whose arm isconnected with or merges into a rod 88 which passes through the lefthand post 18 and throughthe smaller tube 68 as shown. \Vhen this clutchelement stands midway between two gears within the di fferentialhousing. whatever the setting of the gears or elements within thetransmission casing the rotation of the shaft section '25 will not drivethe machine because the rear end of this section is operativelydisconnected from the disk 100. When the element82 is moved to the rightit connects the section 25 with the gear body 93 and the latter drivesthe disk 100 and parts connected therewith throughthe larger ring 109 ofteeth, and when the element is moved to the left the disk is driventhrough the gear body 83 and the smaller ring 108 of teeth. As theserings differ in size to a considerable extent and therefore have adilferent number of teeth,

it will be obvious that the speed at which the machine is driven may bevaried at this point as well as within the transmission mechanismproper, and therefore 1 have shown at the right end of Fig. 2 rods whichextend to within reach of the driver so as to control the position ofthe rod 88 as well as the position of the two tubes 58 and (38 althoughthe exact details of the control mechanism form no part of the presentinengage those numbered 85, i

vention. This rod 88 is shown in Fig. 2 as having three notches ordepressions S9 moving under the tip of the left hand spring catch 19, sothat the clutch element 12 may be set at either extreme position or atneutral.

The bearing near the rear portion of the driven shaft section 25 is bestseen in Fig. 1. and is mounted with a two-part neck whereof the lowermember t projects from the lower section of the transmission casing andthe upper member 11 projects from the cover thereof. The bearing itselfmay be of any suitable type, but I have shown a roller bearing 96 heldin place against a washer 97,.and in rear of this roller hearing athrust bearing 98 whose casing 99 is mounted within the neck-both ofthese hearings coining oil the rear end of the shaft when the parts aredisassembled. Between the thrust bearing and the driven pinion body 93is disposed a two-part washer 91 (see Fig. 2) each part having a pin 92entering a socket in the shaft section 25, and this washer constitutesthe equivalent of the other shoulders against which the various gearsare mounted. I make it in two parts, however,- so that it may be readilyre-v moved when desired. The shoulder 71 is shown in the formof a collaradjustably mounted on the shaft by a set screw 71, so that when desiredthis collar can be set forward to take up wear. The shoulder at the backof the low speed gear 30 is formed by the head 28 of the driven shaftsection.

The disk which has been hereinbefore referred to has by preference a Hatbody 100 standing in a vertical plane within the differential housing Has best seen in Figs. 1 and 2. and it is connected with the differential(not shown) in any suitable manner not necessary to amplify. On its faceare the two gear rings 108 and 109 referred to above. its hub surroundsthe axle section A which section is by preference journaled within atubular axle casing 103 by means of roller bearings 10 1 or otherwise,and the casing carries a forward projection 105 containing suitablebearings 100 in which is mounted the reduced rear end 25 of the drivenshaft section. The neck on the transmission casing is connected with thedifferentialhousing by flanges and screws as seen at 107 in this view.The proportions and materials of parts are not essential to theinvention. and while I have described the detailed construction of manyfeatures I do not wish to be limited thereto more than by theappendedclaims. The action of this device is as follows: The transmissionmechanism proper is set by the mechanism abovedescribed and by means ofthe two tubes 58 and 68 to produce two speeds ahead and one speedreversc,or to'stand at neutral, and in the fat" ter position nothingrevolves with the power shaft section 20 excepting the body of theforward clutch element 53-and the hub of the driving gear.

Anstriking feature of my invention is that whe the transmission is setat high speed on direct drive, no other part of the transmissionmechanism revolves excepting the driven shaft section.25, and thereforein the ordinary running of the automobile the master gear and the othergears are idle. But this high speed may be and doubtless will be reducedby the gearing connecting.

the driven section or the driven gear-with the rear axle as usual inautomobiles. When the gear 93 and theouter gear ring 109 in the disk areemplo ed, it will require about four revolutions of the shaft to produceonerevolution of the axle, and when and the inner ring 108 are employedit be said to reduce speed and increase power and the inner to do so: toa lesser degree. As the ratios just mentioned are only suggested theywould doubtless be different if the machine were intended for racing ordifl'erentin another manner if the mechanism were-to be applied in atruck or on an engine which was to lift heavy loads at times andyet'which at other times was to be speeded up. Whatever the speed of themain shaft'onrlirect drive or through the.

low speed gear, or' the reverse gear, the use of the gear 93 divides itby four and the use of the gear 83 divides it by two if the ratios ofthese gears to the gear'rings 108 and 109 are as above suggested. As Ido not wish to be limited in this respect, these figures are onlysuggestive. "With this understanding then, the driver will doubtlessmanipulate the control through the proper rod R to move the rod 88'andfork 87 and engage the clutch element 82 with the proper gear 83 or 93,before moving either tube 58 or 68 to set the transmission mechanismproper. In other Words, according to the work which is to be performedor the load which is thrown onto the engine, he will shift theconnection between the driven shaft section and the axle as the occasionrequires; and then he will doubtless start by throwing in his low speedgear and later switch onto direct high drive as usual. Many advantagesarise from this construction of the six speed combination gear set, andin addition to those mentioned at the beginning of this specification Imight enumerate the following: As seen in the drawings the entire deviceis extremely compact and small, especially when compared with similarmechanisms providing for six speeds. The rear end of the shaft is in allcases connected with the rear axle by gearing of some kind trifle largerthan the. differential which is ordinarily incased any way. Thereforethree of thesix speeds areobtained at the cost of but little more spaceand an additional ring around the disk 100. This divides the workingparts between the differential housing and the transmission mechanismcasing, and when the cover of the latter is taken off the few partstherein are readily accessible and easily repaired and replaced. Whilethe use of ball bearings throughout renders the device as nearlynoiseless as possible, on a cheaper grade of machine the balls might beomitted. Even the omission of one ring on the disk would leave thetransmission with two speeds forward and one speed reverse, andpossessing many advantages over the transmission mechanisms now on themarket.

Particular emphasis is laid upon the novel clutch or gear shifting meansincluding the two telescopic tubes 58 and 68, the rod'88,

and the forks carried by these parts, as well as upon the beforedescribed lubricating means which incorporates the casing section landthe radial blades or We the master gear M. *IVhat is claimed as new is:

1. In a transmission mechanism, the combinatioinwith the driving anddriven shaft sections disposed end to end, the gears thereon, an:upright post beneath the driven section, and a master gear journaled onsaid post and having rings of teeth engaging said gears; of a cup-shapedcasing inclosing said master-gear andin which the lower end of the postis mounted, the walls of the casing inclosingsaid gears and shaftsections, and

= radial wings beneath the gear body and out-- side its hub and movingwithin said casing, for the purpose set forth. 7

2. In a mechanism of the class described,

the combination with a rigid member and movable elements in connectiontherewith;

of a plurality of tubular bearings carried on' said member, a pluralityof sliding tele scopic members in connection with the movable elementsand each directly movable through one of the aforesaid'bearings, andspring locking members in connection with said bearings for-mietai-ningsaid sliding members independently in various adjusted positions.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

IRA D. SPANGLER.

lVitnesses J. A. GRIESBAUER, JAMES E. Sonmnns.

and inclosed within a housing, and as seen in the drawings this housingis made only a s 36 carried by

